Santa Clara University will be on the hunt for a new dean to head its influential law school.

The university announced Wednesday that Dean Donald Polden will step down after this school year, ending his 10-year tenure as the law school’s leader. Polden plans to take a one-year sabbatical before returning as a law professor in 2014.

Polden took over as dean in 2003, replacing Mack Player at the law school, which has produced some of the South Bay’s most high-profile legal figures and judges, including former California Supreme Court Justice Edward Panelli. Polden previously served as dean of the University of Memphis law school.

Polden is credited with overseeing a $17 million effort to fund student scholarships, faculty support and new programs, as well as the celebration of the law school’s centennial in 2011.

University officials said Provost Dennis Jacobs would launch a search for a new dean, working with the law school’s faculty.

Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at Twitter.com/hmintz

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